Closings

Severe Weather

Atlantic hurricane season begins

The Atlantic hurricane season has begun, and experts are warning everyone to be prepared.

Forecasters have predicted 13 to 20 named storms, with six of them becoming majore hurricanes.

If it weren't for satellites, citizens wouldn't know much about the hurricanes that can head right for them. The next satellite will launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., but it's hard to keep up with the need.

It's from satellites that forecasters learn where hurricanes will go.

The newest satellites give forecasters a better look into the storms.

"So then we can see not just what has happened, but really while it's happening -- while the eye is swirling and the convection is forming," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration representative Tim Schmit said.

It's the satellites that feed the computer models. Without them, the models couldn't accurately predict where a storm is going.

"The idea is you can't predict what's going to happen in the atmosphere if you don't have a good idea of what's happening right now," Schmit said.

A second kind of satellite that was launched from California provides an even higher resolution look at hurricanes.

The last one was launched in 2011 and designed to last three years, but the next one won't launch until 2017.

The gap in satellite coverage could erode our ability to predict hurricanes. The only hope is that the current satellite lasts twice as long as designed.

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